It Started With Him
by slippywonder
Summary: Rude's death and funeral,and Reno's peculiar reactions told from Tseng's point of view.Oneshot.Reno/Rude and Tseng/Rufus hinted at. M for adult themes. Constructive criticism wanted!Badly! Please Review!


this was inspired by a picture i purchased from vergilsparda666 at Yaoi con and is told from Tseng's point of view. First time trying my hand at a fanfic. hope you all like it XD hints at Reno/Rude and Tseng/Rufus. sadfic, written listening to "The Promised Land" from FFVII AC soundtrack XD warning,major sap ahead! Like...soap opera sap... O

Disclaimer: Dont own.nyah!!

Rating: M-MA  
It Started With Him

* * *

They were gone... Both of them. Two of the best Turks to grace ShinRa since Veld and Valentine...Reno and Rude had finally made the journey to the lifestream, together as  
partners in every sense of the word.

During an attack against WRO by anti-WRO terrorists who claimed the company was merely Neo ShinRa in disguise, Rude was rather badly injured by grenade shrapnel.I watched helplessly from my snipers perch.

Reno never left his side. He was oblivous to the profusely bleeding wounds in his own leg and shoulder. I think he knew... That he was going to survive, while Rude wouldn't.

Not even in Valentine have I ever seen such a display of sheer willpower and determination. Reno had carried Rude's body to safety on sheer willpower alone. Despite this,Rude did not make it through surgery. Reno had been right next to Rude throughout the ordeal, and we all worried about him when the heart monitor flat lined.

Rufus grasped my hand a little tighter than he had been before as Reno bowed his head over Rude while clasping the tanned hand of his partner. Next to us,Elena grieved aloud,covering her face in woe and falling to her knees. At the time Rufus and I thought it had merely been because her and Rude had become good friends over the years. We had no idea...She had been grieving for two...

Later that same week

As I headed up toward Rufus's office, I overheard him speaking with Reno about Rude's funeral. He had inquired if Reno planned to go.

I heard Reno cheerily proclaim, "Are you kidding me?! I wouldn't miss it for the world!" as he walked past me. He seemed surprisingly at ease with the whole thing. Rufus wrapped his arms about my waist from behind me. I rested my hands on his as I watched Reno walk down the hallway.

On the day of the funeral Reno was the single ray of light that pierced through the gloom of the people attending Rude's funeral. Reno was the only other person besides Elena who brought a real fllower to place inside the coffin.

It was Costa De Sol tradition,that everyone who attended the funeral bring a prosthetic flower. However,only relatives or close loved ones were supposed bring _real_flowers. Rufus and I found it a tad peculiar,untill we found out later... As Reno placed his flower next to Elena's over Rude's heart,I heard him whisper to Rude...It all made sense after that. Why Elena had grieved so much at Rude's passing. Who the extra flower was for. Why Reno's brother Rodney had showed up briefly,spoke with Reno, then left with with glassy eyes. They were mourning for Reno. Doesn't surprise me really...I had a feeling Reno would decide to stick with his partner,even through death.

Like a true T.U.R.K. , Reno simply dissappeared without a trace. No body to speak of whatsoever, not even a rumor. Nothing but a note ont the coffee machine at work that said, "See you wrinkly old farts when you decide to join us sexy young bitches in the life stream!! Reno"

About a week after the funeral,Rufus approached me when I was outside rather late one night drinking coffee on the porch at Heal'N Lodge.

"He's not coming back to work."

It had been more of a statement than a real question. I kept quiet and drank my addiction of choice as he leaned on the railing right next to me.

"I knew they had been lovers and working partners for quite a while, but I don't think anyone honestly expected Reno to follow him to the grave...You knew ahead of time didn't you Tseng...You heard something the day of the funeral,and never told the rest of us. What did you hear ??"

I downed the rest of my drink before speaking.

"Reno told Rude to 'wait for him' ...Thats all."

I went inside to try and get some work done before bed, with any luck, it would be done before 2 AM

* * *

its only depressing in the sense that this is a deathfic. I wanted to portray Reno as looking foreward to seeing Rude again...not all like, oh, Rude's dead, im never gonna see him again...more like,eh, he's just dead, i'll just see him when i get there...this also hasn't been Beta read yet,so its more melodramatic than bittersweet...x.x;;;


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